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CCR City Deal signed and a new home for Cardiff Devils

Last week was a momentous one for Cardiff and the people who live here with the signing of the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal which has the potential to unlock significant economic growth across the region.

As Leader of one of the ten local authorities making up the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) I fully expect the deal I signed last Tuesday to deliver as many as 25,000 new jobs, and £4 billion of private sector investment across the region.

Deal highlights are:

An Investment fund to deliver the South East Wales Metro, including the Valley Lines Electrification programme.

The creation of a non-statutory Regional Transport Authority to co-ordinate transport planning and investment in partnership with the Welsh Government.

The development of capabilities in Compound Semiconductor Applications. The UK Government will invest £50 million to establish a new Catapult Centre in Wales. The CCR will also prioritise investment in research and development.

Creation of the Cardiff Capital Region Skills and Employment Board to ensure skills and employment provision is responsive to the needs of local businesses and communities.

A Cardiff Capital Region Business Organisation will be established to ensure that there is a single voice for business to work with local authority leaders.

We have worked long and hard to bring a City Deal to the Cardiff Capital Region and I’m delighted that this hard work paid off and we’ve been successful. Financially we have secured a bigger deal for our residents than the Glasgow City Deal, but the real work starts now.

We want this Deal to make a real difference to people’s lives, improving prospects for all our citizens. Today’s signing means work can begin on creating a more inclusive and prosperous region.

I want everyone to know we are determined to deliver better opportunities for all our residents. Securing the City Deal can help us do this. We want to create better job opportunities for people and we want to enable them to take those job opportunities when they arise. At the end of the day we want to improve everyone’s chances of enjoying a better future.

Ice Arena Wales opens and the Devils win

I was delighted to attend the Cardiff Devils’ first game at their new home Ice Arena Wales. City of Cardiff Council is an arena partner and I truly believe that this new 3,000 seater stadium will be a glorious addition to Cardiff’s rich sporting tradition.

The atmosphere as Cardiff Devils beat Belfast Giants was absolutely fantastic and I encourage everybody to attend Cardiff’s latest sports attraction. It is important to remember that Ice Arena Wales is open for the public to use as a skating rink. So if like me you remember skating on the old National Ice Rink in the city centre – or in the Big Blue Tent – you must check out this great new facility.